DVD-ROM Drive Not Reading - Advice?

[J-Mac]

I just started having some problems with DVDs being recognized in both of my optical drives. I have two optical drives installed:

Sony DVD-ROM DDU1615
Sony DVD/CD Writer DDU820a

Both have the latest firmware installed (Though neither has had a firmware update in a few years)

I am running Windows XP Pro, SP2

CD/DVD-related Software:

AnyDVD 6.5.1.8, CloneDVD 2.9.2.0, and CloneCD 5.3.1.3

I have been using both AnyDVD and CloneDVD for years - almost three years on this box - without issues. I was able to backup DVDs using AnyDVD and CloneDVD as recently as two weeks ago.

Problem started when I installed CloneCD. The first time I tried to backup a DVD after installing CloneCD the DVD-ROM drive had trouble reading the disc - it was "30 Days of Night". So I tried several other DVDs including some that I had just successfully burned in the previous month. (E.g., Michael Clayton, Burn Notice Season 1, Saving Grace Season 1). All Region 1 DVDs. None are recognized by the DVD-ROM drive now. Actually I am seeing the same with the Sony DVD writer drive, but not as frequently.

When I say not recognized, sometimes they are not recognized at all; other times they are recognized after a short time, then not, then yes, etc. It's like the drive is seeing them and then losing them for periods of time. I was even able to start copying 30 Days of Night with CloneDVD and 10 minutes in it said it could no longer find the disc. If I try to read a disc in the DVD/CD writer drive it also is not recognized at times, but less problems than with the DVD-Rom drive. Seems that both drives have been affected by whatever might be causing the problems.

While trying to burn the backup with CloneDVD, CloneCD is running in the system tray. Also, I have listed all installed lower and upper filters at the end of this post.

Now I do realize that the Sony DVD-ROM drive might have just given up and needs replacing. But it is a little nagging that the DVD-ROM drive and the DVD Writer drive both failed at the exact same time. Even Sony would have difficulty building in planned obsolescence so precisely timed!

I am wondering if it is possible that the CloneCD Installation installed one or more drivers that are experiencing conflicts with others already installed. I can replace the drives but if the problem is driver conflict I'd like to find out prior to replacement.

Thanks!

Jim

EDIT: BTW, I use only Verbatim media, both DVD+R and DVD+R DL. Though since the problem is occurring before it even gets to the blank media I doubt this is a problem here.


===============================================
Filter Driver Load Order - ImgBurn v2.4.2.0
===============================================

Upper Device Filter: redbook
Upper Class Filter: [None Found]
Device: CD/DVD-ROM Device
Lower Class Filter: Pfc
Lower Class Filter: ElbyDelay
Lower Class Filter: PxHelp20
Lower Class Filter: AnyDVD
Lower Class Filter: ElbyCDFL
Lower Device Filter: [None Found]

Filter Name: redbook
File Name: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\redbook.sys
File Version: 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
File Description: Redbook Audio Filter Driver
Product Name: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Product Version: 5.1.2600.2180
Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
Copyright: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Filter Name: Pfc
File Name: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\pfc.sys
File Version: 2, 5, 0, 205 [2.5.0.205]
File Description: Padus(R) ASPI Shell
Product Name: Padus(R) ASPI Shell
Product Version: 2, 5, 0, 205 [2.5.0.205]
Company Name: Padus, Inc.
Copyright: (C) Padus, Inc. 1999-2004. All rights reserved.

Filter Name: ElbyDelay
File Name: C:\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\ElbyDelay.sys
File Version: 5, 1, 0, 1 [5.1.0.1]
File Description: Elby Delay Lower Filter Driver
Product Name: CDRTools
Product Version: 5, 1, 0, 1 [5.1.0.1]
Company Name: Elaborate Bytes AG
Copyright: Copyright (C) 2003 - 2006 Elaborate Bytes AG

Filter Name: PxHelp20
File Name: C:\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\PxHelp20.sys
File Version: 3.00.78a [3.0.78.0]
File Description: Px Engine Device Driver for Windows 2000/XP
Product Name: PxHelp20
Product Version: [2.0.0.0]
Company Name: Sonic Solutions
Copyright: Copyright © Sonic Solutions

Filter Name: AnyDVD
File Name: C:\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\AnyDVD.sys
File Version: 6.5.1.8
File Description: AnyDVD Filter Driver
Product Name: AnyDVD
Product Version: 6.5.1.8
Company Name: SlySoft, Inc.
Copyright: Copyright 2002 - 2009 SlySoft, Inc.

Filter Name: ElbyCDFL
File Name: C:\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\ElbyCDFL.sys
File Version: 5, 2, 1, 3 [5.2.1.3]
File Description: ElbyCDIO Filter Driver
Product Name: CloneCD
Product Version: 5, 2, 1, 3 [5.2.1.3]
Company Name: SlySoft, Inc.
Copyright: Copyright (C) 2003 - 2006 SlySoft, Inc.

 

[DrinkLyeAndDie]

Your filters look fine. Is this happening with all media or just copies? It does seem very strange that sometimes the discs are detected and not detected other times. That to me sounds like a dying drive but the fact that it's two different drives is baffling. I have all the software installed, myself, and haven't had this type of issue.

I'll have to think on this one and maybe someone else has an idea.

 

[J-Mac]

Hi DLD.

No, this is occurring with purchased DVDs. As I write this I am attempting to save an image of one from the DVD/CD writer to my HDD with CloneCD. Then burn the backup later, hopefully.

Sound like a failing drive but it is also happening on the other. Like I mentioned, weird they would both go from A-OK to failing at the same time.

Writer has the problem less frequently it seems, so I am trying to save the image before it drops out.

Thank you.

Jim

 

[sondeterra]

System

Coud you be maxing PSU or CPU?

 

[J-Mac]

Coud you be maxing PSU or CPU?

Thanks for the reply. No, neither is maxed out. The PSU is a Silverstone 600 Watt Modular PSU ST60F; that is way more wattage than I'm using so the safety factor there is pretty large. Unless, of course, the PSU is failing. But this would be the first time any symptoms appeared.

CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+, 2200.0 MHz. Not state of the art now but it was pretty impressive at the time I purchased it ~three years ago. No indication that it was running high at all.

I'm not trying to place any blame on CloneCD. It's just that when both optical drives started having intermittent read problems the first thing I tend to look at is: What did I change on my system since the last good burns? And the only application I installed was CloneCD, which just happens to also install codecs and drivers. So I figured it's worth asking about it here. If it has caused similar issues for anyone else I guess this is where I could find out.

I'll probably try uninstalling CloneCD and reversing any driver installations it performed just to see if that has any effect.

Oh - I just realized that CloneCD wasn’t the only change after all. I already had AnyDVD 6.5.1.8 installed, but I purchased the HD upgrade at the same time as CloneCD. Don’t really need it yet as neither of these drives can handle HD discs. I purchased it to ensure the lifetime license, like regular AnyDVD and CloneDVD on my system, and also so that I will have it for when I eventually do start playing with HD writers and discs.

Hmm, could adding the HD features to AnyDVD when both drives are not HD-capable have done anything to cause this problem? That actually sounds more likely than CloneCD doing anything.

Thank you.

Jim

 

[Webslinger]

Hmm, could adding the HD features to AnyDVD when both drives are not HD-capable have done anything to cause this problem?

No


Click this

Do what it says to do

 

[J-Mac]

No


Click this

Do what it says to do

Webslinger,

Thanks for the link. I hadn't thought about anything like this.

Couple quick questions about it that you might be able to help with:

I have already installed the standard drivers once but I cannot remember on which controller. The two Nvidia controllers shown below are for the internal HDDs in my box (3 of them). Is that what I am supposed to change? Just making sure as I wouldn’t have realized on my own that they affect the optical drives - Do they?



Thanks!

Jim

 

[J-Mac]

I found a few more threads about replacing the IDE Busmaster drivers with standard Windows drivers and found that it is mainly Olli from Elaborate Bytes who recommends this. It seems that the IDE Busmaster drivers - which I am guessing are the base for all the vendor IDE ATAPI drivers like Intel, Nvidia, etc. - can cause problems with CloneDVD, or at least that is what I read from Olli. So I guess that extends oout to CloneCD also.

Anyway I went ahead and swapped out the drivers, though I won't know if it helps until tomorrow - too late to give it a try tonight. I'm getting way too sleepy!

Thanks, and I'll post back with results tomorrow.

Jim

 

[Webslinger]

I found a few more threads about replacing the IDE Busmaster drivers with standard Windows drivers and found that it is mainly Olli from Elaborate Bytes who recommends this.

Olli is the original author of Clonecd.

 

[J-Mac]

Olli is the original author of Clonecd.

Yes, I remember corresponding with him back in 2003 or so when I first started using CloneDVD.

Anyway, no dice here. The swap-out of the Nvidia drivers didn't help, so I uninstalled the HD license for AnyDVD and I uninstalled CloneCD altogether and gave it another try.

At first I thought maybe I had it: after getting a read error again I tried cleaning out the drive with compressed air and I was able to get one movie copied with CloneDVD. But then the DVD-ROM started having read problems again and of course the burner followed suit. If I remove the cover and lid I could try using a Q-Tip and alcohol to clean the lenses good. But if I am going to rip anything open I might as well try another couple of drives since they are pretty inexpensive.

Oh - I reinstalled CloneCD as I don’t think it is the problem now. Could be, but I am doubtful.

Recommendations on a DVD-ROM drive and a DVD burner? I saw some Lite-Ons at Newegg that got near perfect reviews but I would prefer some recommendations from the folks here.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[Chris Gonzales]

Hi, in case both drives are connected via the same cable, seperate them for a try (attach one drive to a different cable).

In BIOS, the SATA configuration for optical drives has to be set to IDE. However, some controllers have problems running seperate modes simultaneously. A driver update of the controller sometimes helps.

 

[J-Mac]

As drives are so darned cheap now I decided to buy two new ones and swap them out. I ordered two Lite-Ons from Newegg and received them last week. Unfortunately I messed up: DVD-RW drive is installed and working well, but the DVD-ROM I ordered has a SATA connection; both existing drives were IDE. Not sure how I did that, but Newegg has two Lite-On DVD-ROM drives available with the only difference being one is SATA and the other IDE. I looked at the IDE drive but then when I went back to place it in my shopping cart I must have selected the SATA drive. The model number is about 18 characters and there is just one character different in the middle of the number.

I called Newegg to return it and surprisingly the support tech said they don’t exchange - only refund and re-order. Since the drive was so inexpensive she told me to keep the SATA drive anyway and still gave me a full refund! I just received the IDE drive today and will be installing that later. Pretty nice on Newegg's part.

BTW, when I installed the DVD-RW drive I had both drives out of the case, so I cleaned the Sony DVD-ROM drive internals as well as I could and reinstalled it until the replacement Lite-On arrived. Then I tried copying a new DVD using CloneCD and all worked well! So I could probably stick with the Sony DVD-ROM drive after all. But since I now have the new Lite-On drive I'm still going swap them out.

Thanks for all the help and advice!

Jim